I could see all of this and more, making my heart swell with the desire for it—for him. The patches of pain still bruising my heart bloomed with the hope that it was possible to heal and it would be thanks to that man right there.
Rough around the edges but soft on the inside.
Approaching him slowly, I leaned against the beam holding the swing set up and watched him, a goofy grin blooming on my face.
“Come over for dinner tonight. I won’t make something out of a freezer.”
Beau looked over at me in surprise, and a grin spread slowly on his features to rival my own. “You asking me on a date, Rosie?”
“Yeah, Sheriff, I am.”
He looked at Silas as he pushed him again. “You mind if I go on a date with your mama?” Silas shook his head, and Beau smiled tenderly at him. “Then, why don’t you two come over to mine, and I’ll do the cooking for you. My mama showed me the way around the kitchen a couple of times.”
“Cheesenoms!” Silas declared, a grin of his own spreading this time. Beau looked at me for translation as I laughed.
“Anything with cheese on it. Although burgers are preferred.”
“That I can do, Little Man, just for you.”
9
Beau
“You can stayfor a bit if you want. I have a room Silas can sleep in.” The hesitation drifted across her face for a moment. “I’d like you to stay,” I figured I ought to add, in case she worried she was overstaying her welcome.
“I just don’t know if he’ll sleep, that’s all. There’s been a lot of change lately. He has enough sleep issues.”
I glanced over at the sandy-haired little boy playing with my nieces' toys and then back at his beautiful ma. “Well, my nieces come and stay all the time, so the room is set up for kids already. Mind if I give it a go, just to see?” She hesitated for a moment longer before finally shrugging.
“Alright, but if it doesn’t work, next time, I’ll get a babysitter.”
Her mischievous smile made my stomach tighten with need.Hell, yeah, she would.
“It’ll work. I’m the baby whisperer, according to my brother.” I winked at her before heading to the kitchen to get everything ready. Half an hour later, he was sound asleep in the top bunk of the bed, softly snoring.
I walked out of the bedroom, closing the door carefully behind me when Rose appeared out of nowhere, launching herself at me. Her arms wrapped around my neck as her mouth collided with mine, forcing my back against the door.
Her fingers pressed into the back of my head as our lips melted into one another. My hands roamed the curve of her spine before gripping her ass, hauling her against me. My mind said to go slow, let her lead, but the rest of me was ignited by her touch, and the fire’s roar drowned out everything else.
Her fingernails scraped the back of my head as she opened for me, letting me in to taste the intoxicating mix of honey and orange. My tongue swept along hers, teasing the roof of her mouth, and her entire body shivered against mine.
She pulled back, eyes heavy-lidded with lust. “Where’s your bedroom, Beau?”
Staring at her blushed expression, I knew I could lead the way, and she would follow. My entire body screamed for it, and yet my mind persisted that I should do this right. It was more than just sex, I knew with every fiber of my soul this was the woman for me, and she seemed ready now, but I couldn’t bear to scare her away.
I needed to be sure she was sure.
“Rose, we don’t have to do this right now. Not until you’re ready,” I cupped her cheeks and peered at her, leaning in until our foreheads almost touched. Her hands slipped from my neck to my chest, curling around the fabric as she thought about it.
“I am ready,” she whispered back, glancing at me. “More than just using you to erase the past, I want to build the foundation of my future—if that’s what you want.”
My heart soared as if it was pulled from my body to float across the room before jumping back into my chest.
“Yes. Yes, that is absolutely what I want.” I kissed her again, not holding back one ounce as I laid it all out on the line. Then, when I needed to come up for air, I only did so long enough to scoop her off the ground and into my arms.
Wrapping her legs around my waist, I carried her toward my bedroom as our mouths clashed against one another, neither of us holding back a moment longer.
The door of my bedroom swung open hard, banging off the wall behind it before swinging shut from the force. Dropping her onto the bed, I reached for the buttons of her dress and undid them, pressing a kiss to each piece of exposed skin.